Friday Night Lights: “Git ‘er Done”

For the moment, we’ll just ignore the fact that a quote from Larry the Cable Guy is the title of this show (what’s next? “If You’re a Sleazy Car Dealer in Dillon, Texas . . . You Might Be a Redneck”?).

First, we’ll summarize all the hormonally driven activity — Cheerleader Girlfriend is sleeping with Uncommunicative Mopey Buddy, whose former girlfriend had a one-night fling with a Traveling Investment Banker. Saracen almost spit out a complete sentence to Coach’s Daughter (and who of us hasn’t been in that situation?). And Smash is flirting with every girl in the school. Enough of that foolishness.

Coach Taylor makes the wrong decision about his starting quarterback, despite a gigantic hint by his Wife From The Movie (who, by the way, confirmed that “Coach” indeed is his first name). Guess he was too close to the situation to see what all of us could — that VooDoo was going to be trouble. Coaches have thrown clipboards at quarterbacks for a lot less than what he did, even before causing a scene at the game at Arnett Mead (portrayed admirably by College Station’s A&M Consolidated High School).

With VooDoo supposedly tossed from the squad at halftime, Saracen — who again wipes that deer-in-the-headlights look off his face — leads the Panthers to a thrilling comeback, cleverly giving the ball to Smash about 40 times. Mopey Buddy, a decoy most of the night, scores a touchdown on a reverse on the last play of the game, and then Smash scores on a two-point conversion for the victory. (Apparently, overtime isn’t included in the fictional version of Texas high school football.) Everyone celebrates, but we can’t hear the Dillion High School Marching Band to find out if the tune for Panthers’ fight song is “On Wisconsin,” like it is for most high schools in the state.

All is not well, though. The day after the game, a couple of dour-looking guys from the “District Committee” show with allegations that VooDoo was recruited (that Caddy he drove to practice and his father’s job as night manager at Sleazy Car Dealer Motors might have been a tip-off).

Highlight

Coach’s Daughter is riding with mom and dad to school (past construction on the infamous Texas 130, by the way) and is reeling off coaching jobs she has found online somewhere, including one in Washington State.

“Do they have football in Seattle?” someone wonders.

Coach Taylor makes That Face and replies, “Yeah, but it’s not the same.”

The DVR Moment

If you’re quick on the button, you’ll notice something on the side of the ol’ Yellow Dog school bus as the police escort leads the team away from school. The producers were smart enough to cover up the name of the school district on the bus they rented for the episode, but instead of “Dillon ISD,” as is common practice on the side of buses, this one read “Dillon High School.”

The DVR Moment, No. 2

Quarterback Street wasn’t the only one fighting back tears after the team — including Mopey Buddy, finally — came to see him at the rehab hospital on the way to the game. That was an Emmy-winning scene there.